This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tonight! Tonight in Music: Group Doueh, Midnite Snaxxx and more!
Posted by Arian Jalali on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 4:19 PM
GROUP DOUEH, DUSU MALI BAND, DJ GLOBALRUCKUS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Group Doueh.
BARE WIRES, THE OUTDOORSMEN, TAXI BOYS
(East End, 203 SE Grand) While San Francisco gets all the attention for being the hotbed of West Coast rock and roll, one need only make a short trip (not during rush hour) across the Bay Bridge to find bands that are equally as rock and roll, and just as druggy and fun. Oakland's Bare Wires don't play the noize card like Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees; instead they crank out smooth, power-glam anthems that bring to mind Gary Glitter (pre-Asian incarceration) and Slade, whose biggest hit as it happens was "Cum On Feel the Noize." Bare Wires' "Don't Ever Change" is a bona fide anthem in the spirit of 1973. There was probably far less plaid and platform shoes involved in the making of the song, but it's comforting nonetheless. MARK LORE
News Here Is Your PDX Pop Now! Schedule
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 11:33 AM
The good souls at PDX Pop Now! previously announced the lineup and details for this year's annual free summer festival, but they were mum on the schedule. Until now. Plan out your weekend of all-age music—down to the minute!—with this year's schedule (after the jump).
Video Ghost Animal's Practice Space at Reed College
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:42 AM
We like Lance Bangs lots. The Vice folks, slightly less. (An illuminating scene in the new New York Times documentary Page One indicates that a significant amount of douchebaggery is running that enterprise at the executive level.) But we really like new local duo Ghost Animal, and Bangs along with Vice TV have this quick little video doc/performance that peeks into their rehearsal space at Reed College, along with great-sounding excerpts from "Tired (A Ceremony)," the title track of Ghost Animal's new 12-inch.
Video Let's All Look at EMA's Dirty Laundry
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 9:11 AM
Calm down pervy, we're not talking about EMA's camisoles and bloomers, we mean Dirty Laundry, the web's finest interview series that takes place amidst the washers and single service size boxes of Tide at the laundromat. In this clip, Portland's Erika M. Anderson talks about her flawless Past Life Martyred Saints recording, hanging out at Los Angeles DIY mecca The Smell, and her upcoming collaboration with the Kronos Quartet.
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News This Week's Mercury Music Section
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you play a thrilling game of Metallica Monopoly. Ride the lightning, or the B&O, as Metallica Monopoly "takes the popular board game to a whole new level." If you lose, no crying. This means you, Dave Mustaine.
Black Joe Lewis has soul and he's super bad. Along with his loyal band of Honeybears, the Texas blues/soul singer is getting down and dirty at this year's Waterfront Blues Festival.
LISTEN:
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - "Black Snake"
We examine the dedicated, prolific, and oddly dysfunctional world of the Soft Tags.
LISTEN:
Soft Tags - "Many Hands"
Because all we ever write about is indie rock, here is yet another article about some band called Group Doueh from Morocco (which I believe is a suburb of Orange County—it's right next to Buena Park).
LISTEN:
Group Doueh - "Zayna Jumma"
They Live Here INTERVIEW: Sublime Frequencies Co-Founder, Hisham Mayet
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:36 AM
In this week's print edition I wrote about Group Doueh and their taste-making world music label, Sublime Frequencies. Co-founder Hisham Mayet lives in Portland. We talked about a lot, as the Libyan-born Mayet has been traveling the globe since he was a young boy.
END HITS: GROUP DOUEH JUST ARRIVED IN THE STATES FROM THE WESTERN SAHARA AND YOU FLEW OUT TO MEET THEM. ARE YOU OFTEN THE GUY SHEPHERDING BANDS ON TOURS FOR THE LABEL?
MAYET: Every tour that they've been on I've managed the tour and kind of been the utility guy—translator, tour manager, recorder, logistics, you name it, even prepping the visas from the get go. It's pretty extensive.
I WANT TO GET A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE LABEL BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT DOUEH. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A PART OF THIS THING?
The label was started officially in 2003 by myself, Alan and Rick Bishop. It was a loose collection of friends who gathered on weekends to show our films and generally have a good time. We all traveled a lot, sort of collecting recordings and shooting video and documenting this stuff for ourselves. One thing led to another, we had some really successful film screenings in Seattle back in 2002 and 2003. The response was kind of overwhelming and so we just decided to give it a go. Me and Alan and Rick officially started it. And about a year later Rick pursued his solo art career. So ever since then it's been a two-man company. We have a solid crew of contributors that include Rob Milis, Mark Gergis, Laurent Geneau, and many others that have made contributions over the years...
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Live Review Live Review: Rush at the Sleep Country Amphitheater, June 28, 2011
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 2:35 PM
- photos: Lannamann
While other music fans were at the Britney Spears spectacle at the Rose Garden or the My Morning Jacket shred-fest at Edgefield, I trekked north—to Clark County, in pursuit of a rare glimpse of Canadian power trio Rush. I hasten to mention that this was not done out of any sense of irony or as the result of losing a bet. No; for a couple brief years pre-adolescence, I was an immense Rush fan, and swiftly accumulated six or so of their albums on cassette with embezzled lunch money. Then other things happened (girls, grunge, Roll the Bones) and Rush and I went our separate ways. But the older I get, the more I realized I'm pretty much the same person I was at age 10, and seeing as how I have never ever seen Rush live, I pounced on the opportunity to catch them at the Sleep Country Amphitheater.
As should be expected from anyone except the most dickish of music snobs or anyone attached to a vagina, the aging Canucks put on a great show. I shall do my best to explain how, and why, without coming off as a total nerd. Yes, their first set consisted of mostly newer, inferior material; yes, they shamelessly baited fans by performing one of their two best albums, Moving Pictures, in full (their other best album is 2112); yes, Neil Peart is starting to look a little like Gandalf. Despite these things—actually, because of them, really—the show was killer.
CD Reviews John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Posted by Chris Cantino on Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 11:09 AM
On his latest record, the portent We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, John Maus delivers on the premise that he is "nothing except the making of music" with a highly imagined and singular artistic statement. Now, Maus has been dinged for both his artificiality and zealousness in the past, but here he embraces those polar qualities, somehow escaping with his authenticity intact. Take the mercilessly inciting "Cop Killer" or the mature goth-pop love song "Quantum Leap" for instance. Maus cleverly employs dialectics and genuine sarcasm throughout the album to illustrate his own ambivalent nature.
Backed only by bass, keyboards, and a drum machine, Maus flames through 32 minutes of baroque electro-pop like a hypomanic evangelist, his high-gravity baritone scaring the hell out of anyone listening. I heard that if you repeat "John Maus" three times in front of a mirror with the lights out that he will appear and steal away your firstborn. But seriously, if the rapturous sincerity of album closer "Believer" doesn't make you one, nothing will.
News Blind Pilot to Release We Are the Tide on September 13th
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 8:43 AM
It's been a long time since we've heard anything from Blind Pilot. A very long time. The local folk act first rode into our hearts with their stunning 3 Rounds And A Sound debut and penchant for touring by bicycle, but their sophomore recording was delayed. And then delayed even further. There were rumors of record label drama, writer's block, recording sessions in an Astoria tree house, flat bicycle tires (totally made this one up), and it seemed like a follow-up recording might never surface.
That is until the band just announced the arrival of We Are the Tide, which will be out on September 13. The above teaser video offers a few snippets of what is to come, and it sounds quite promising. September can't come soon enough.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tonight! Tonight in Music: Britney Spears, My Morning Jacket, Hunx and His Punx and more!
Posted by Arian Jalali on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 3:58 PM
MY MORNING JACKET, EVEREST
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) Are My Morning Jacket the greatest live rock and roll band on the planet? Probably. Experience the brain-melting splendor that is an epic (we're talking hours upon hours) show from these Louisville rockers, touring in support of their new LP, Circuital. EZRA ACE CARAEFF
BRITNEY SPEARS, NICKI MINAJ, JESSIE AND THE TOY BOYS, NERVO
(Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct) Britney's back, and this time? SHE'S NOT ALONE. Join Britney Spears' Femme Fatale tour, which also features the nasty feminine wiles of Nicki Minaj, Jessie and the Toy Boys, and Nervo, in a show that's been getting a lot of critical raves for its energy and fun. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
HUNX AND HIS PUNX, SHANNON AND THE CLAMS, GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See our article on Hunx and His Punx.
Video Hosannas Record a Session for Violitionist
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Violitionist recruits bands to play three songs and then proceeds to ask them a trio of questions—one of those should be, "Can we ask you unlimited questions?"—which they then post online for your viewing/listening/not-working-while-at-work enjoyment.
When the local gents in Hosannas rolled through Denton, Texas (easily the best city in that godawful state) they recorded a session for Violitionist, the highlight of which is their drowsy cover of the Beach Boys' "Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)." It (quite literally) lacks the whistles and bells of the Pet Sounds' sessions, but it's a unique take on a song that still resonates to this day.
Let's Talk About... Save the Rock!
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 9:47 AM
- foundmagazine.com
Come on you guys, we need to SAVE THE MOTHERFUCKING ROCK!!
PORTLAND, OR —- August 28th marks the date rock fans in Portland will unite for a day long celebration to “Save the Rock” after recently losing their only Active Rock station in Portland.
Sounds good, I am in. I like rock music. I like radio. I like this city. What bands are going to save the rock in Portland?
PDX Rock Fest “Save The Rock” will take place at Washington County Fairplex and feature performances by KORN, Five Finger Death Punch, Queensryche, Chevelle, Hinder, All That Remains, Duff McKagan, Like A Storm, among others.Korn’s Jonathan Davis offered "We've always loved playing in Portland. We heard about the radio station going away and we wanted to help. We know there are some die-hard Korn fans there and we are coming to support them and stand up for rock music."
Sorry, rock. If that's all you got, then you are not worth saving.
Buy Me This Nirvana's Nervermind Getting Deluxe Reissue for Twentieth Anniversary
Posted by Chris Cantino on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 9:19 AM
Oh boy! If you're anything like me and you're living every day like it's 1991—vote Paul Tsongas in '92!—then you still worship the band that brought alternative to the mainstream.
While the majority of Nirvana's unreleased material was exhumed for 2004's With the Lights Out, the promise of an unreleased live concert and unheard material should be enough to whet your appetite. The four CD, one DVD, Nevermind collection—garnished with unreleased recordings, rarities, BBC sessions, and alternate mixes—is set to be released September 19th courtesy of Universal.
Video Sapient - "Grown Up" (Video)
Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 6:16 AM
A quick primer in case you were unaware: Sapient is one finely skilled emcee. A member of the Sandpeople crew, he released his most complete work to date in 2010, a solo disc entitled Barrels For Feathers. You really should own that record. In fact, buy it right here. It's cool, we'll wait.
Now that we're all caught up you can take a few minutes to watch this impressive clip for "Grown Up," the most introspective track from Barrels For Feathers. Well-directed by Shawn Shannon, the video tastefully uses both color and black and white footage as it surrounds the emcee with a large cast of extras, both old and (very) young.
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Monday, June 27, 2011
Tonight! Tonight in Music: Blonde Redhead
Posted by Arian Jalali on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 2:11 PM
BLONDE REDHEAD, NOSAJ THING
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Last winter Blonde Redhead performed new material from their dreamy new full-length Penny Sparkle at the Roseland. If that show wasn't intimate enough for you, catch them tonight in the cozy confines of the Doug Fir. You'll be close enough to touch Kazu Makino and the Pace twins. [Note: Please do not touch the band.] EZRA ACE CARAEFF
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